Here in the UK, we have a reputation for being intelligently humorous, polite, reserved and proud of our stiff upper-lip

You would think these traits would apply to the office; however, it seems this couldn't be further from the truth!

This is because a recent survey shows that almost 60% of us admit to displaying bad manners towards our colleagues and committing verbal faux pas on a very regular basis.

So, if you want to stay on the right side of your co-workers, and avoid sounding and looking like a right chump, here are 10 things not to say at work.

1. "You are the dumbest boss I've ever had"

Picture the scene. You have just landed the job of your dreams and you can't wait to give your current boss the two-fingered salute and tell him exactly what you think of him. But (and we know it can be hard), you really must resist the temptation to bad mouth and let off steam.

We say this as here is a true case that appeared in The Times as an example of what not to say. One person referred to their employer as "having an intellect that ranges above the common ground squirrel" whilst adding for good measure, "You are one of the few true genetic wastes of our time."

Remember people, your comments will be filed for future reference if requested by another employer!

2. "That's not my job"

With your 'to-do' list showing absolutely no signs of getting any shorter, your boss walks into your office to ask if you do a 'little' job for him. This results in you taking on more work than you can realistically manage.

But, a "blunt refusal to help, will simply burn bridges and damage goodwill," says psychologist Bryan Carroll. "Instead, simply explain your existing commitments; and perhaps propose another time that you could offer assistance."

A year later sounds about right to us!

3. "Anyone can do their job"

Are you quick to badmouth your boss or ridicule their decision making abilities? Watch out: the boss hears everything that is said in the office; both good and bad.

Assume that what you say will eventually get back to him or her via the network of office gossips (which operates more efficiently than the CIA). And the next time you notice yourself griping, ask yourself, "Is it more important to vent my frustrations, or to get that next promotion?"

One expects the latter will be your reply if you have any sense!

4. "Take the whole pack of Trebor's, please; you need them more than me"

Tempting though this may be and sometimes very necessary, this approach is about as subtle as a brick and you may want to re-assess your 'diplomacy skills'.

The best way to tell someone that their breath is a problem is to do so discreetly. If a colleague has bad breath, offer a mint or furtively leave a packet on their desk.

The other option is to walk in wearing a gas mask; but that might hurt their feelings.

5. "Sack me and you will regret it"

These were the famous last words uttered by Martin Jol shortly before he got the sack as Tottenham Hotspur 'manager'.

Just because you were the number one salesperson or are credited with reversing the fortunes of the company in the past, does not guarantee that you will have a job forever; remember nobody owes you a job.

And, as the saying goes: you are only as good as your last game. On that basis, if your daily performance is like Derby County, then you are clearly in trouble.

6. "Why can't I log onto Facebook anymore?"

The Daily Telegraph found that 70% of UK companies have banned their employees from accessing social networking sites, such as Facebook and Bebo, is because they detract staff from doing what they are actually paid to do; namely work.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but traditionally, people have gone to work to actually WORK!

Also, do you really want to run the risk of your boss peering over your shoulder and finding out what you really got up to at the weekend?

7. "Have a go if you think you're hard enough"

Most of us don't get to choose the people we work with (if only, eh?) and your colleagues come as part of the package when you take a job. Just like your relatives, it would be unrealistic to expect you will get on with everyone all of the time.

But if the tension between you and a colleague threatens to boil over into hand to hand combat, physically remove yourself from confrontation and allow yourself sufficient time to work out a passive response.

Counting to a million should help too.

Nancy Peterson, co-founder of the Mediation Agency says:

"We've all said things in anger that we later regret. A lot of conflict could be avoided if people didn't wrongly hypothesise a reason for someone's behaviour, and make a poor decision based on this judgement."

Fair enough, but let's face it, who hasn't wanted to hit someone in the head with their stapler at some point? 

8. "I do like to dabble in recreational drugs every now and again"

Memo to self: you are complete toaster if you say this out loud at work.

If you do 'dabble' then make sure you keep it to yourself. This is because whatever you tell people now will become more widely known as you climb up the career ladder and, you may find that that climb comes to an abrupt halt a lot sooner than you think.

In a survey of email blunders, officebroker.com in the UK found the case of an employee who, following a 'sick' day, sent an email to a colleague explaining his illness was due to 'class A's'.

Unfortunately, the chump sent it to everyone in his company; including the senior management.

It's no surprise that he now works elsewhere!

9. "Go away; I'll do it when I'm ready"

Here in the UK, we have a growing long-hours working culture, and so it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the increasing amount of work that you have to plough through each day.

According to a survey conducted by Office Angels, 72% of us here in the UK admit to avoiding 'tricky' or time-consuming tasks in the hope that the issue will simply disappear. That makes for tetchy workers which leads too many of us telling colleagues exactly what they can do with their latest 'bright idea'.

But, there really is no excuse for bad manners at work. "Manners are an essential part of the image you project at work," says Paul Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels.

10. "How did he ever get promoted?"

Hands up if you have ever found yourself saying this?

You may think that you are smarter than you actually are and feel that it should have been you rather than your new boss who got the promotion. But don't follow the route of constantly bemoaning or spreading vicious gossip about your boss; a condition termed 'post-traumatic embitterment disorder' by researchers at the University of Berlin.

Also in your eagerness to prove to your superiors that they were wrong to pass you over for the promotion, you run the risk of being seen as irritating or at worse desperate.

This is why you should never 'point out' what could be done better unless you are actually asked for your opinion by your boss.

What are other things you shouldn't say in the office?

Why not let us know in the comments?

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